







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| These days I'm into 60's, 70's remixes. | |
| I didn't know that, I hope it's not a big problem for him. | |
| I'm really amazed by the structure of this station. | |
| Hi, I don't think it's broken. | |
| I'm just teasing you, dear, 200 degrees is okay! | |
| I guess time doesn't pass for you while I'm away. | |
| Erm, she's the marketing manager at the company. | |
| Then people come and complain to me! | |
| You are lucky! | |
| Erm... While your hands are already dirty... | |
| I can't imagine myself being on a plane for that long! | |
| Mike, teriyaki is Japanese, we are at a Chinese restaurant. | |
| Come on in, here on the ground floor, we have two bedrooms... | |
| Oh really? That's not good. | |
| Does anyone else want something to drink? | |
| She is doing well, we have 3 months left to go. | |
| I'm sorry to say that no pets are allowed in the house! | |
| Thank you, I'm 26. | |
| Look at the shelf, the price tag says £2.20 a kilo. | |
| Okay, so do you want me to make 3 serves? | |